The Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (NAP+ GHANA) has debunked the assertion by a Gospel Musician named Brother Sammy who allegedly claimed to have a cure for HIV.
According to a statement signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency by Emmanuel Beluzebr Suurkure, the President of NAP+Ghana, Brother Sammy’s assertion was to make solution to cure HIV by simply mixing DDT with water for consumption.
It said on June 25, 2019, NAP+ GHANA got the information from the media about the press statement by the Director of Food and Drugs Authority on the issue and the subsequent interview of Brother Sammy concerning the concoction that he claimed was a miracle water that could cure HIV.
“NAP+ GHANA is appalled by this information and calls for urgent action to arrest all people who peddle concoctions and claim they have a cure for HIV in this country but do not have any scientific proof or approval from the Food and Drugs Authority or any relevant authority,” the statement said.
The claims, the statement said, made by many people including Pastors, Mallams, Herbalists to possess a cure for HIV without such mixtures going through any scientific evaluation, had caused many persons living with HIV their lives.
“It is no secret that many persons living with HIV, stop taking their life-saving antiretroviral medication in favour of such mixtures at the peril of their lives”, it added.
According to the statement, such imposters often go scot free, without being punished despite the grievous harm they cause to such patients and families.
NAP+ GHANA, the statement said, was glad to know that in this case, the perpetrator was being dealt with by the police.
The Network has commended the Food and Drugs Authority for the act, explaining that DDT as a pesticide was banned globally because of its dangerous effect on wildlife and humans in general.
“It is therefore unthinkable that it is brazenly being added to water for human consumption as a cure for HIV.”
NAP+ GHANA would like to encourage all Persons living with HIV not to stop taking the scientifically proven antiretroviral medicines in favour of these concoctions which have no proven efficacy, the statement said.
It reiterated that it was important that HIV patients adhered to their antiretroviral medicines, keep all their appointments with their doctors and counsellors to ensure sustained viral suppression and wellbeing.
The statement encouraged the media to stop advertising persons passing dubious mixtures as a cure for HIV, and also advised the public to report such persons to the necessary authorities, adding that “our lives are just as precious as any other and therefore no one should exploit our vulnerability with false claims of a cure”.
Source: GNA